Unit 12

The Old Woman Creek Hills, Buck Creek Hills, and Seaman Hills provide the most recognizable high points for navigation and reference, though none are dramatic peaks. Table Mountain and Bald Butte serve as visual navigation markers from distance. Coyote Gap breaks the western ridge system.

Major named drainages—Sage Creek, Cow Creek, North and South Cottonwood Creek, and Lightning Creek—run generally north-south and south-southwest, serving as natural travel corridors and providing the clearest terrain features to navigate by. Eagle Draw, Beaver Hole Draw, and other valleys between ridges offer travel routes. The Point cliff formation provides a recognizable landmark.

These features are subtle but useful for orienting in the open country.

Elevation spans only roughly 900 feet, ranging from 3,800 to 4,800 feet across consistently low, open country. The landscape is predominantly high plains grassland and sagebrush, with forest cover minimal and scattered primarily along creek bottoms and low ridges. The terrain transitions gradually between prairie flats and gentle hills—no abrupt elevation changes or mountain zones.

Vegetation pattern reflects semi-arid plains ecology: native and introduced grasses dominate the open country, with scattered juniper and pine appearing on higher benches and ridge slopes. The sparse tree coverage creates an open, viewable landscape ideal for long-range glassing, broken occasionally by draws and creek drainages that provide modest relief and riparian vegetation.

U.S. Highway 85 runs north-south through the unit, providing main-road access and allowing straightforward entry from either direction. County roads branch from Highway 85 and connect to Highways 270 and 272, offering multiple staging routes. The road network totals 233 miles, distributed across a vast unit with limited public land—meaning access points are concentrated and some areas may require permission or are private.

The combination of flat, open terrain and limited road density suggests pressure is manageable and concentrated near main corridors. Much of the country remains unroaded grassland, making foot travel important for finding quiet country once access points are reached.

Unit 12 occupies the far northeastern corner of Wyoming, bounded by the South Dakota state line to the north and east, and the Nebraska border to the south. The unit is roughly rectangular, anchored by U.S. Highway 85 running north-south through its center and accessed from the south via Hat Creek Road near the Nebraska line. Wyoming Highways 270 and 272 form the western boundary, with the Old Highway 85 Road and various county roads (Wasserburger, North Lance Creek) defining the northern extent.

The nearest reference point is Redbird, a small community within the unit. This positioning makes the unit accessible from both Interstate 25 to the south and the Black Hills region to the northeast.

Water sources are limited and scattered. Multiple small reservoirs—Bad Land Number 2, Clark Number 1, Carrico Number 1, Roy Johnson, and others—provide stock water and potential hunt-day water, but their seasonal reliability varies. Sage Creek and Cow Creek are the most substantial year-round drainages, flowing through the central and southern portions of the unit.

North and South Cottonwood Creek, North Brush Creek, and Fitzsimmons Creek provide additional drainage systems but may be seasonal. The limited water situation means hunters must plan access to reliable sources, whether reservoirs or creek bottoms, and may need to carry supplemental water for full-day hunts across the open plains.

Unit 12 holds both mule deer and whitetail deer in high plains grassland habitat. Mule deer gravitate toward the higher benches, scattered juniper patches, and ridge systems of the Old Woman and Buck Creek hills, using these areas for cover and bedding while feeding on surrounding grass and browse. Whitetails prefer the creek bottoms and draw systems where riparian cover provides security.

Early season (September) offers glassing opportunities across open slopes; mule deer use higher elevations before cold pushes them lower. Fall rut periods concentrate deer movement along ridge systems and creeks. Late season finds both species retreating to whatever cover exists—creek drainages and juniper patches become critical.

The open terrain demands patience with optics; hunters should glass extensively from distance before moving, as the limited cover makes stalking difficult and animals easily spooked.